Gender impacts practically every issue philanthropic institutions address. Two decades of research has found that harmful gender norms and inequities are a key to improving life outcomes for at-risk communities. Yet foundations and grantees often overlook gender, or disconnect it from race and class.

International donors like PEPFAR, UNAIDS, UNFPA, USAID, and WHO (and leading NGO's like CARE, EngenderHealth, International Center for Research on Women, International Planned Parenthood, and Population Council) have all
implemented "gender transformative" initiatives that address gender norms and inequities and found them effective. USAID no longer funds new programs that lack a
strong gender analysis, and PEPFAR has made gender norms central to its funding
in dozens of developing countries.

A small core of domestic donors have done likewise. Yet, as Dr. Hortensia Amaro first observed in 1995, whether the issue is reproductive health, civic engagement, partner violence or educational under-achievement, the US still tends to promote better outcomes for at-risk communities "in a gender vacuum.”

Who We Are

TrueChild helps donors, policy-makers and practitioners reconnect race, classandgender through "gender transformative" approaches that challenge rigid gender norms and inequities. We are especially interested in the impact of gender on at-risk communities, including those that are of color, LGBTQ, or low income.

What We Do

Our experts provide expertise and consulting services to philanthropic officers, policy-makers, and non-profits that increases the efficacy of philanthropic efforts, public policy and programmatic efforts while maximizing social returns. Specifically we: